ANTI=RITUALISTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 543, 25 June 1909, Page 9

ANTI=RITUALISTS.

%: : :AN AUCKLAND' ;MANIFESTO.: -.: ■"■::■ (By Telegraph— Special Correspondent.) : .■•'. ':; .'■'.; ;' : '",;■■:■./ Auckland, Juno 24.. ■\ ! 'A. , , manifesto * has ■ been ■■ prepared by. tho council of tho nowly-establishod Laymen's .League. "■ JJy way of introduction, the manifesto says; .■:■..-;.- ...'..,■■'■'v'-.\. , ; '■ ' : ■ V ■ ~ : '.'Tho oSistcnco ; of. tho League is tho outcome on, the one band of. dissatisfaction with tho ! government, of '-ike Church,. ahd with the conduct;of Divino Eorvico; on tho. other' hand, 'of disgust and' alarm, on-the part, of many of ;tbe'\inost loyal,soils' of tho Chlirch .at , the.opiMi attempt now'.boing made by many ■■, of tho, superior' and inferior clergy in■.Eng-J landj.-and, in somo of ■ tho colonies, to restoro doclriiies' and: practices of which .pur national.: Church was; purged, at: the time of J.'.tho: Reformation,' because' they.- mtich blinded tho people, and obscured tho glory of.God.";.: ; .;;;.;;.;'- i'vr-Vv-". ; ■'■,■'■■ ■• ■-: r", Sdmo : aspects' of ..the' present 'position ,in England .aro referred, to as follow:— ■■ ~l r ,''We havo'.beon recently told, on high authority, that at timo.in'Eng;lahd, nq.:ono cares .a snap ■,of ;tho lingers •about itho '-subject- of ~ritual.. '.Now/' wjiilo' n'o'kriow this statement, to be absolutely in-' accurate, ■ as/regards'.the-Old;'Country,' .wo >re, painfully aware'.that,: jn pur own j tho ':. subject. does not receive ..the attention j it "I should, owing to ■'■ want of' lalowledge of tho' : real signiKcance'' of..•ißomo ritualistic praotices.",. :■. ■\:.. ; ' i ">.'.:,-.:' , .... : ;: / ;; V:' ■■!- ■ ;•■...■.: ; ,': THo manifesto prbceeda the views/of thoso .who. Aise: the eticharistic >ycst : monts, and •.those who: waht to ,'do sd, and argues .that; they, stand:for "doctrines that| the. .papacy: has v acceptei3j' .defined, and-.-.&u-tlioriseu."...vTheso;.sam<)'-doctrines,: it is con-i tended, have':been''b'raiided by:tho'Church of )snglandias '."blasphemous fables,',' and "pernicious /impostures.";- '.The manifesto 'islis: ."How' can ; we, retain •these; ; w6rds, : and at the salno tim'6 accept the -invitation so complabjintly tciidorod us'by five of our bishops •to look ' upon, as innocent' and fanciful, vestsymbolise.doctrines, so sternly denounced by ; the thirty-iirst.ai'ticleF; , ;After ' dealing ■at .length with . tho constitutional ipqsitioiuof thd' Church in New. 'Zealand, and ■withMllegod • "attempts; to.alter fundament-, ;aU,":the. manifesto r.cfors to the powers said :to_havo.,'boen, nssumedlby !thb episcopato. ■ ! In this.- connection, ''special ia.inadp. to tho ;';prier; of/tho'GobtJ;Shepherd'!■ in'Auclslancl,,.which'vis'charaetotiised ■as.aii institu.tion: that, ''goes oh ; under icon'stitiltion fcontaining: what many 'members' , of tho■ Church :bo!icyo. : to':--be ; nnchrjstian and ;<innattira!':rules for '.the; cdntrbr/bfl tfo'men':"" ;•■'..' Summariiiiig • the views of - the council, ■ the .•ffliiiiifaeto'Says': v -''- ; : , -' ; -: , :;^ i v-'- ; : : -■.'■• '■"■■-,' V:'"Tliere. ; i3, in 'England, , '"a widespread , move-' mont,; generally deemed ? and \ called'' a- ; conBpiracy,;_to,. Roinamse ■ the. national Church; ..The cer'm [of ■ this, pestiloh't thing has reached Our ■ land. , ' Tiiero aro clergy 'among us, ifeflv wo ■■.afejglid "16 thinL-y.whp : : knbw'well .-.what it;.means, and yet are prepar«l,'.when.'they. . (leom ; the time ripe, :to go' the'full lei'gtli' of rotinion , 'with : RomeV.. ' on; ./Rome's : . ! ,'torms} .°t™rs;',:..'not ..so.far: .adyancbd; aro ■: •• foun'd Striviag.tp.ilead-their , ' people'.in. the attempt to j 'disooyer .forced meanings -in' tho , sacra■meats•and: cefoinonics: .of„ tho' ; Church, : ',w'hicii do:.yiolonc'o.:to.the plain,terms,of her articles.! ;and;to ;the. clearly expressed intentions of the': compilers, of the Krayer 800k.'.: A' third sbc- ; \tion,;;niado; up ■•mainly.:'df'■spuriger.-riieni •: who : ,know/little, ;and: seem. to .care, less, .about . the.principles,that lie/at tho.roots 'of church-' 'ffflshiPrlfollow ,;tho,.: nowdst -ecclesiastical .fasluohin dpctrino, and.inTitual.'soloßg as it..oarncs the approvalof .thoif: '.